Go Team
Go Team
Barnabas, however, took him and brought him to the apostles and explained to them how Saul had seen the Lord on the road and that He had talked to him, and how in Damascus he had spoken boldly in the name of Jesus. (Acts 9:27)
Risky Affirmation
An interesting dynamic arises in Acts 9. Barnabas, now a respected elder in the early church, takes a bold risk. While many doubted the validity of Saul’s conversion from chief persecutor to believer, Barnabas puts his credibility on the line to affirm Saul’s worth to the church. You could argue that without Barnabas’ simple affirmation, the church might look a lot different today.
Barnabas displayed the qualities of a spiritual mentor. He stepped away from his own personal agenda and took up the job of guiding this young believer into maturity and leadership. You’ll notice that Luke, the author of Acts, describes the duo as Barnabas and Saul until the end of Acts 13, when suddenly they are described as Paul and Barnabas. It would appear that this elder statesman in the church, who captained their missionary team, had coached Saul into Paul, who became history’s greatest evangelist and church planter.
From Saul to Paul
Every Christian leader has Sauls in their midst—newly converted Christians long on zeal and short on wisdom. The easy thing is to view them as a nuisance, a sort of stumbling block to greater ministry. But God may be calling us to coach them, to ensure that when they leave our presence, they are more Paul than Saul, ready to lead for God.
Bottom Line
Leading like Barnabas means we help guide our team members toward spiritual maturity.